"THE REIDOUT" WITH JOY REID
STARTS NOW.
WE BEGIN "THE REIDOUT" TONIGHT
WITH HISTORY IN THE MAKING.
>> ON THIS VOTE, THE YAYS ARE
53, THE NAYS ARE 47, AND THIS NOMINATION IS CONFIRMED.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THERE ARE DAYS THAT THIS JOB
IS ALMOST ALL ABOUT HORROR.
THREATS TO OUR DEMOCRACY AT
HOME, A DEADLY PANDEMIC, WARS
ABROAD.
AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THIS
JOB IS JUST A PURE OPPORTUNITY
TO GET TO EXPRESS THE COLLECTIVE
JOY THAT SO MANY OF US FEEL.
BUT ONLY A LUCKY FEW OF US GET
TO ARTICULATE ON THE TV.
WELL, TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE
DAYS.
A DAY OF JOY.
A DAY OF VICTORY.
AND NOT JUST FOR BLACK WOMEN AND
BLACK HISTORY BUT FOR AMERICA.
TODAY, JUDGE KETANJI BROWN
JACKSON TOOK A VERY IMPORTANT
STEP TOWARD BECOMING JUSTICE
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, AND THE
FIRST BLACK WOMAN IN OUR HISTORY
TO HOLD THAT POST.
WHAT A DAY.
AS WE WERE ALL WATCHING THAT
HISTORIC MOMENT IN THE SENATE,
JUDGE JACKSON WAS WATCHING
ALONGSIDE THE MAN WHO PROMISED
IF ELECTED, HE WOULD PUT THE
FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON THE HIGHEST
COURT IN THE LAND.
AND TODAY, JOE BIDEN’S PROMISE
WAS KEPT.
ONLY THREE REPUBLICANS COULD SEE
BEYOND THEIR PARTY’S
NEODIXIECRAT WAYS TO JOIN SENATE
DEMOCRATS IN CONFIRMING JUDGE
JACKSON.
BECAUSE OF THAT, BY VOTING AYA,
THEY GET TO JOIN IN HERALDING
THIS MOMENT, WITH ROMNEY, WHO
CEDED AN ELECTION TO OUR FIRST
BLACK PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA,
AND SENATOR MURKOWSKI, STANDING
WITH THE DEMOCRATS IN APPLAUSE
TO THIS HISTORIC MOMENT.
TODAY, IT WAS AN EVENT
CELEBRATED ACROSS THIS COUNTRY,
AS THE WOMEN OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
DISPLAY BLACK WOMEN ARE SUPREME.
AS "THE WASHINGTON POST" POINTS
OUT, HER NOMINEE HIGHLIGHTED THE
RELATIVE RARITY OF BLACK WOMEN
IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION.
JUST 70 BLACK WOMEN HAVE EVER
SERVED AS A FEDERAL JUDGE.
REPRESENTING FEWER THAN 2% OF
ALL SUCH JUDGES.
SO THE FACT THAT A BLACK WOMAN
WILL HOLD THE TITLE OF ASSOCIATE
JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT
WILL BE A NORTHSTAR FOR MILLION
OF BLACK GIRLS, AND THAT THERE
IS NO LIMIT TO THEIR AMBITION OR
THEIR SUCCESS.
HERE IS HOW ONE OF JUDGE
JACKSON’S CLOSEST FRIENDS
DESCRIBED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
TODAY.
>> IT GIVES GREATER LEGITIMACY
TO THE COURT, BECAUSE WE KNOW
THAT THERE’S SOMEONE THERE WHO
IS WALKED IN OUR SHOES.
ALTHOUGH WE’RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR
THE DIVERSITY ON THE COURT NOW,
THERE’S THEY HAVE BEEN THE VOICE
OF A BLACK WOMAN ON THAT COURT.
IT MEANS THAT IF SHE COULD DO
IT, WE CAN DO IT, AND OUR DAUGHTERS CAN DO IT.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS MY PANEL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THIS IS A MAGICAL DAY.
AND I WANT TO GO RIGHT DOWN TO
THE MIDDLE TO YOU, KIMBERLY.
THAT STATISTIC OF ONLY 70 BLACK
WOMEN SITTING ON A FEDERAL
BENCH, ONLY 4% OF LAWYERS BEING
BLACK WOMEN, IT’S SUCH A RARITY.
WE BOTH KNOW LAWYERS WHO ARE
BLACK WOMEN, SO IT’S HARD TO GET
YOUR MIND AROUND IT.
I WONDER FOR YOU AS A BLACK
WOMAN LAWYER, WHAT DID TODAY
MEAN TO YOU?
>> IT MEANS SO MUCH, JOY.
GROWING UP, I DIDN’T HAVE A
FIGURE LIKE KETANJI BROWN
JACKSON TO LOOK UP TO WHEN MY
MOTHER SAID TO ME WHEN I WAS A
CHILD, YOU SHOULD BE A LAWYER
BECAUSE YOU’RE GOOD AT ARGUING.
I JUST HAD TO GO ON MY MOM’S
WORD AND SAY YEAH, YOU KNOW,
THAT’S A GOOD IDEA.
BUT IT IS A REAL THING IN MANY
PROFESSIONS, CERTAINLY IN THE
LEGAL PROFESSION.
I WAS IN A CLASS OF 400 STUDENTS
IN LAW SCHOOL, AND THERE WERE
FIVE OF US, FIVE BLACK WOMEN,
SEVEN BLACK STUDENTS ENTIRELY IN
A CLASS OF 400.
SO THAT’S 1% OF THAT CLASS.
IT IS SCARCITY.
I PRACTICED LAW IN BOSTON AND
RARELY CAME ACROSS ANOTHER
LAWYER WHO LOOKED LIKE ME.
SO YES, WE KNOW A LOT OF LAWYERS
AND MANY OF THEM ARE BLACK WOMEN
BECAUSE OF THE POSITION WE HOLD
NOW.
BUT THAT IS A RARELY.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR NOT
JUST -- WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE
LITTLE BLACK GIRLS LOOKING UP TO
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, AND THESE
REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT THE LAW STUDENTS RIGHT NOW
TWHOSHGS ARE SIT
WHO ARE SITTING IN THE SAME
SPACE, TRYING TO GET THROUGH, TO
HAVE THAT IMAGE, TO UNDERSTAND
IS SUCH A MONUMENT AT THIS
MOMENT.
IT REALLY IS AN IMPORTANT DAY.
>> YEAH, A BIG DEAL FOR ALL OUR
DAUGHTERS, AS WELL.
LET ME PLAY VICE PRESIDENT
HARRIS, HER REACTION.
SHE IS A FIRST, AS WELL.
IT WAS SOMETHING FOR ME TO SEE
THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN VICE
PRESIDENT CALL THE VOTE FOR THE
FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON THE SUPREME
COURT.
HERE SHE IS.
>> LET US ALL -- WHO WE ARE AS A
NATION THAT WE ACHIEVED THIS
IMPORTANT MILESTONE.
I THINK IT MAKES A VERY
IMPORTANT STATEMENT ABOUT WHO WE
ASPIRE TO BE, WHO WE ARE, AND
WHO WE BELIEVE OURSELVES TO BE.
THE STATEMENT THAT ON OUR
HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND, WE
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE’S
GOING TO BE FULL REPRESENTATION,
AND THE FINEST AND THE BRIGHTEST
AND THE BEST.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.
I’M VERY PROUD.
>> IT’S GOING TO BE SO GREAT FOR
ME THIS HALLOWEEN TO SEE HOW
MANY LITTLE GIRLS DRESS UP AS
JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
AND HOW MANY DRESS UP AS VICE
PRESIDENT HARRIS.
IT’S REAL.
THIS IS LIKE A REAL THING.
YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO HER
GIRLFRIEND, I’M LUCKY ENOUGH TO
HAVE KNOWN THESE YOUNG LADIES.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE SMARTEST
PEOPLE I EVER MET.
THEY WERE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY
UNDERGRAD.
YOU SPOKE WITH NINA SIMMONS, ONE
OF THEM.
TALK ABOUT WHAT THE FRIEND HAD
TO SAY.
>> IT WAS THIS JOY THAT YOU SAW
THE VICE PRESIDENT HAVE THAT YOU
SAW THESE SENATORS HAVE.
HER FRIENDS WERE JUST JUBILANT.
ONE OF THEM SQUEALED ON THE CALL
WITH ME.
I TALKED TO NINA SIMMONS,
KIMBERLY ROBERTSON, WHO YOU
PLAYED EARLIER, AS WELL AS A
NUMBER OF OTHER WOMEN.
WHAT THEY REALLY TOLD ME IS THAT
SHE WAS A STAR, THAT JUDGE
JACKSON WAS A STAR.
BUT ALSO THAT SHE WAS SUPPORTED
BY A GROUP OF BLACK WOMEN BOTH
AT HARVARD UNDERGRAND AND
HARVARD LAW.
THESE FOUR FRIENDS TRAVELED
TOGETHER.
THEY NOT ONLY GOT INTO HARVARD
TOGETHER, BUT THEY GOT INTO
HARVARD LAW TOGETHER.
I WANT TO PLAY NINA SIMMONS.
SHE WAS SOMEONE JUST TALKING
ABOUT HOW PROUD SHE IS, BUT WHAT
SHE HAD TO ENDURE, JUDGE
JACKSON, TO GET HERE.
HERE SHE IS.
>> AND I’M JUST SO PROUD OF HER
AS A BLACK WOMAN.
DURING THE HEARINGS JUST
WATCHING HER, I FELT HER PAIN,
AND I THINK MANY PEOPLE, MANY
REACHED OUT TO EXPRESS THE SAME
THING, TO SEE WHAT SHE WENT
THROUGH, TO SEE THAT SHE WAS
STRONG, THAT SHE PERSEVERED.
IT REALLY SPEAKS NOT ONLY TO
BLACK WOMEN, BUT WOMEN
EVERYWHERE.
ANYONE THAT’S FELT OUT OF PLACE
OR NOT WELCOME IN AN ARENA OR
THEY ARE THE MINORITY.
>> THAT WAS ANTOINETTECOAKLEY.
ANOTHER ONE OF HER FRIENDS SAID
SHE PREDICTED SHE WOULD BE THE
FIRST BLACK WOMAN ON THE SUPREME
COURT BECAUSE SHE WAS SO
BRILLIANT AND SHE DID STAND OUT.
SHE WAS A CONSENSUS BUILDER.
THEY DID SAY SHE WAS VOCAL ABOUT
THE IDEA SHE WANTED TO CONNECT
TO PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T AGREE WITH
HER ALL THE TIME.
SHE HAD THESE STUDY QUESTIONS IN
HER DORM ROOM WHERE SHE WOULD
GATHER PEOPLE AND TALK ABOUT THE
LAW.
SO WHEN SHE GETS ON THE SUPREME
COURT, SHE’S USED TO TALKING TO
PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT AGREE WITH
HER AND SHE’S GOING TO BRING HER
LIVED EXPERIENCE AS A BLACK
WOMAN, 233 YEARS IT TOOK FOR HER
TO BREAK THAT DOUBLE PANE GLASS
CEILING OF BEING BLACK AND BEING
A WOMAN.
>> IT IS AMAZING.
I’M GOING TO LET A BROTHER
SPEAK.
I’M GOING TO BRING YOU IN JAMIE.
THE THING ABOUT IT IS, I WANTED
YOU TO BE HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS
ALSO A POLITICAL WIN FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
HE MADE SOME PROMISES.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PROMINENT
BLACK WOMEN WHO WENT REAL TOUGH
ON HIM AND SAID YOU NEED TO PICK
A BLACK WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT.
HE DID, PICKING KAMALA HARRIS.
HE MADE A PROMISE TO PICK A
BLACK WOMAN FOR THE SUPREME
COURT.
HE DID.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE FOR
THIS POLITICALLY, ESPECIALLY IN
A TOUGH MIDTERM YEAR?
>> WELL, JOY, WE WERE BOTH THERE
WHEN JOE BIDEN, THEN VICE
PRESIDENT BIDEN, MADE THAT
PROMISE IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH
CAROLINA.
AFTER CONVERSATIONS WITH MARCIE
FUDGE AND JIM CLYBURN AND CEDRIC
RICHMOND AND BENNIE THOMPSON,
AND HE MADE THAT PLEDGE ON THE
DEBATE STAGE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU ON A PERSONAL
LEVEL HOW MUCH MY HEART FILLED
WITH JOY.
I’M MARRIED TO A BLACK WOMAN WHO
IS A LAWYER.
SHE’S A LAW PROFESSOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND IT WAS EMOTIONAL FOR US.
MY WIFE WENT TO HARVARD
UNDERGRAD AND YALE LAW SCHOOL.
AND I’VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE
CHALLENGES OF A BLACK WOMAN IN
THE LEGAL PROFESSION, HOW THE
BAR IS RAISED SO HIGH, AND TO
SEE THIS HAPPEN TODAY, I CAN
TELL YOU, IT WAS EMOTIONAL FOR
MY WIFE, IT WAS EMOTIONAL FOR
ME, AS WELL.
SO I WANT TO JUST SAY
CONGRATULATIONS, JUDGE JACKSON.
WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF YOU.
THE POLITICS BEHIND THIS, JOY,
IS THAT THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
IT WAS A PROMISE MADE, AND IT’S
A PROMISE KEPT BY JOE BIDEN.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF, AND
WE SHOULD ALL CELEBRATE.
BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
200 YEARS, THIS COURT HAS HEARD
CASES FROM PRESSEY VERSUS
FERGUSON, SHELBY COUNTY, BROWN
VERSUS BOARD, ALL IMPACTING
BLACK WOMEN, BUT NEVER HAVING A
BLACK WOMAN ON THE COURT TO
PROVIDE HER PERSPECTIVE.
AND NOW, NOW THAT’S GOING TO